By D̩sob̩issance Ecolo Paris Рreprinted article from 19th October 2019.
🚨 We are living among a major revolutionary sequence of events that we must seize in its global, not isolated, character. Like the Arab Spring, like the movements of 1936, 1968, 1989, this autumn is neither ordinary nor benign, it is ungovernable.
For several days, the videos of the various revolts around the world are almost all we have seen from our news feeds and the dominant media. Everywhere around the globe, people are standing up to their leaders, against corruption and injustice. We already knew of these injustices, this moment confirms it. Capitalism is out of breath and the question is now no longer whether it will succeed, but rather how long it will remain alive.
We propose here a (certainly) non-comprehensive list of the worldwide currents of events that have taken place very recently.
🔸 Hong-Kong against the law:
Massive demonstrations, sometimes 2 million people, institutions and symbols attacked, police held in check, a well organised riot with sophisticated tactics.
The movement has lasted now for 6 months and is showing no signs of letting up. Following the repression of state (Police / Justice), the movement is increasingly determined.
🔸 Catalonia for independence:
While 9 Independence Separatists have been heavily condemned by the law, hundreds of thousands of people have been protesting for a week in Catalonia and Barcelona, calling for the independence of the region and amnesty for those convicted.
Yesterday, 500 000 people showed up in the Catalan capital, following a massive general strike and a night of riots.
The extremely repressive Madrid police have already committed more than 300 injuries.
🔸 Ecuador, already a victory:
Originally against the increase in fuel price, the movement developed very quickly and radically. The State was quick to respond: State of emergency, arrests by hundreds, police brutality. But in 12 days the very determined movement managed to get the cancellation of the fuel price increase!
🔸 Lebanon, revolt against crisis:
For a few days, the capital has been inaccessible. Hundreds of thousands of people protest in big cities. A popular rebellion that originated from a response to a tax on calls via an internet messages service (Whatsapp).
🔸 Indonesia, against the tanks:
There has been a large movement of protest in Indonesia against corruption and religious laws in recent weeks. Massive demonstrations are taking place in the capital and come up against tens of thousands of police officers and their tanks. Fighting has been hard lately: two students died and hundreds of people were injured.
🔸 Haiti against corruption:
Riots and demonstrations are multiple and massive, especially in port-AUX-Princes.
Since September, following a fuel shortage and against the corruption of the elected representatives, the population has risen and faces bloody repression.
🔸 Chile in flames:
Chile is currently experiencing a major movement of revolt against excessive price increases, including transport. A State of emergency has been declared in the face of riots, barricades and flames. The Army is about to enter the scene to strongly repress the population, especially the youth who have been very present in the movement.
🔸 Colombia, the student movement:
At the end of September, in early October, a massive movement began among the students of Colombia against police violence and for the independence of university faculties. The youth are keeping the police in check, and do not hesitate to attack the defenders of capitalism.
🔸 Iraq, bloody repression:
The country has been lit up since the beginning of October and mainly in the cities of the south. Demonstrators, who take huge risks, demand employment, public services and denounce corruption.
The movement is facing a bloody repression. More than 100 dead and thousands injured.
🔸 Guinea, no third term:
A large number of guineans do not want a 3rd term of president Alpha Condé. For a week, the population has been on the street and is also suffering terrible repression. 10 dead and dozens of injured.
🔸 Algeria, it continues:
While we remember the great movement that asked for the end of the bouteflika reign, the demonstrations do not falter! Against corruption, and against Bouteflika power (whether in his name or another), massive demonstrations continue to take place. Yesterday, thousands of people paraded in cities across the country to claim the end of the system represented by general Ahmed Gaid Salah. The demonstrations are on their 35th consecutive Friday.
🔸 Egypt, against military power:
In Egypt, in September, important demonstrations took place, especially in the capital, Cairo, against general Sissi, in power since his coup in 2013. The demonstrations are forbidden, but thousands of Egyptian have braved the streets.
Several hundreds of arrest have taken place, as well as many injuries.
🔸 France, gilet jaunes and after?
1 year since the gilet jaune movement started and a date is already set for the anniversary of the movement, the weekend of 16 & 17 November. A new movement that despite its shortness has evolved into a long term campaign and has irrevocably marked French society. And has sustainably destabilize power.
The country is on the edge of implosion. Our firefighters, our doctors can’t take it anymore. Pension Reform – yet another hit -, police violence, Islamophobia powered by the political-media class, the management of the Lubrizol disaster, the repression that continues to take down any social movement. It will only be “enough” to see Macron fall.
🔸 Kurdistan – Rojava
Different from the other case, or at least a different form of resistance, Rojava is trying to resist the Turkish invasion in any way that it can. The Kurdish, driven by their social, democratic, and feminist values, resist the repression of a bloody army at the orders of the dictator Erdogan wanting to destroy the aspirations of an independent and more just society.
We can also talk about the recent revolts in Sudan, Syria, Brazil, Papua, Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and probably in many other places that we do not know due to the lack of coverage.
The ongoing sequence of events is in our opinion a kind of Autumn of people. The sudden multiplication of pockets of resistance, all over the world, cannot be taken as distinct events. The ongoing insurgencies are linked. From their aspirations, their demands, their radicalness, by the number of people who take part.
The world is today at a breaking point. In the face of the authoritarianism and corruption of leaders and the spread of economics of austerity, people have no other choice but to go to the street and take on the police, and to make existing powers fall. We live a major revolutionary sequence that we must seize in its global, not isolated, character. Like the arab spring, like the movements of 1936, 1968, 1989, this autumn is neither ordinary nor benign, it is ungovernable.
Image by Carlos Figueroa – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=83393901
